My Idea

It's a great idea. BUT, the possibility of damaging the wall would be an issue for me... especially if water got down between the walls (like when you pull the hose back through). I'd drill a slightly larger hole than needed and install a bit of pipe that's wide enough to accomodate your siphon hose, and leave it in place. It would make sliding the hose through really easy, too. :D
 
I think your idea was ingenious! Me2's idea sounds smart, that's what I would do to protect the wall.
As for the great percentage debate, I do large, frequent water changes (50% every four or five days) and my fish never complain.
 
Sharkyloach said:
lol nope, putty is cheap as dirt. My dads a carpenter plus I also have the origonal color for my walls so it's a no money loss compared to goin out and buying a python. It was an idea I think its easier then a python. Thankyou Pirate X for defending my post for me lmao, next thing I know this whole things about water 25 or 50% water changes. Theres no harm in doing 50 percent water changes, the tank water was getting a bit bad smelling and the amonia level got a little higher then normal.

oh yeah and no drywall gets into my tank, the access was taken off and I put on the lid before I pull the tube back.
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If water ever got in between the paper sheet on the drywall, your whole wall would need replaced. The paper will start to look like a ripple effect. It would start to show up and look pretty awful. I would only trust it if it was water resistent dry wall which is used in bathrooms.
 
victimizati0n said:
your only suppsoe to change 25% of your water every week/other week.

50% is WAY to stressfull to the fish, and will mess up the cycle.
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I'm not bashing you in anyway, but how did you come to this conclusion?

Amounts of water changes should be based on a few factors and every tank is different.

1- What size is the tank? Smaller tanks (under 30) need more frequent changes regardless unless the load is minimal.

2- What is the tank bio-load? How many fish? What size are they?

3- What are you feeding? What is your feeding regiment? People who feed beefheart (discus breeders for example) on a very frequent basis change upwards of 80 -90% daily

4-What is the filtration like in comparison to the bio-load? IE: My 77 has 1400 gallons per hour filtration and only 6 fish but two breeding pairs. Meantime my 50 has 700GPH filtration with 2 fish

5- What kind of fish do you have in the tank. Cichlids can live and thrive in much dirtier water than say cardinals or some scaless fish.

How is changing 50% more stressful that 25%? You still have a syphon or whatever in your tank swishing around. Unless you are actively tormenting the fish and chasing them arround or are dealing with a tempurature or a ph issue with the new water I don't see the reasoning. Even then if you are dealing with those issues chances are you are doing something to remedy it IE: buffering for ph or adjusting the new water temp. If anything you are lowering the Nitrates in the tank to an even lower level which is a good thing.

As for messing the cycle. It is very very hard to kill off the bacteria in a cycled tank. Between the amount that lives in the gravel in the tank and the amount that lives in the filter. If the tank is still quite new yes there is a slim possiblity but in an established tank. Even putting water that hasn't been decholranated very rarely will kill off all the bacteria. In fact I have done massive water changes and forgotten to put in the dechlor on some of my older tanks with no ill effects. Granted I don't recommend it but it has happened. I would be more worried about the affect of the chlorine on my fish than I would on the tank bacteria

You could in theory vaccum the gravel everyday of a week and still not get rid of all the bacteria that is living there.
Some ways to kill of the bacteria bed are
1- heavy doses of anti-biotics
2- extreme tempurature changes hot or cold
3- bleach/javel
4- converting the water to salt water (the bacteria in fresh and salt are different)

I'm sure that I have missed a few.

So in reality you would have to try really hard to mess up the cycle in an established tank.
 
the python would help but who cares if he punches holes into the wall? i thought i was pretty funny.

and fish breeders do 100% water changes. if your water has no chemicals, same ph/hardness and temp the fish wouldnt even notice.

when i do my tank i do about 25-30% and i dont even dechlor or warm up the water, i just add it slowly. but thats a different thread.

to further derail this thread :) i love my 2004 f150!!
 
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